Implant materials that facilitate tissue ingrowth, such as grafts, may be used in the medical arts, particularly in applications involving vascular replacement, augmentation, and/or repair. These materials may be naturally-derived or non-naturally-derived, and when they are implanted within a patient, cells and other bodily substances from the patient can infiltrate the material, leading to, for example, new tissue growth on, around, and/or within the implanted material. Tissue ingrowth may enhance the biocompatibility of such implants, but excessive tissue growth may result in unwanted complications.
Such grafts and graft anchoring devices may be used in implantable Ventricular Assist Devices (VAD) to create inflow and outflow conduits that interface with the circulatory system. Control of cellular ingrowth has been one of the main challenges for such devices when implanted for long periods of time.